


Set it all in motion

by halfeatenmoon



Category: Outland
Genre: Canon Gay Character, Friendship, Gen, Pre-Canon, Queer Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-09
Updated: 2012-02-09
Packaged: 2017-10-30 21:08:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/336148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfeatenmoon/pseuds/halfeatenmoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>2005. Moving in with Fab has its challenges, but Max is approaching an even bigger and more exciting change in his life. Possibly too exciting for him to handle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Set it all in motion

**Author's Note:**

> Yep, I'm writing fic after watching a single episode. Thanks to gala for the prompt, if the fic is only vaguely related to it.

They'd been counting down to this day for weeks. Keeping the evening free, making excuses, making plans. In half an hour, Max was going to meet the moment he'd been waiting for for what felt like his entire life. He was just setting out the biscuits and dip in the kitchen when Fab came through the door, and suddenly he froze.

"I can't do it."

"Oh, don't get all chicken on me now," said Fab, with an easy shrug, setting a shopping bag down on the kitchen counter with a thud. "I knew you'd have second thoughts but trust me, everything's goin to be fine. Is it moving out or coming out that's bothering you? You _know_ living with me is just until you finish uni. If I really drive you crazy we might have a problem, but you already know every annoying thing about me." He peered closely at Max, who was now gripping the kitchen bench and staring into space. "It's the coming out part, isn't it? Look, you don't have to do it yet. And even if your parents are shit about it, which they won't be, you're with me now. They can't do anything to you." He patted Max's shoulder lightly. "And there's no way they're gonna get through me."

"It's not _that_ ," Max said, through clenched teeth. "It's the show."

"The show?" Fab blinked at him. "You're afraid of watching new episodes of _Doctor Who_?"

"Yes!" Max said, and threw his hands in the air. "I know, I know, it's on in half an hour and we got all this stuff and we've been looking forward to this all year, but... but... what if it's _shit_?"

Fab stared at him for a moment and sighed, then hugged him. "Max, it's Doctor Who. How could it be shit?"

"But what if it _is_?" Max sighed and leaned into his friend. "What if it's all wrong? What if it's all shiny and flashy and, and, and _uncool_?"

"Max, over the last two years the ABC has played every single episode of Doctor Who, and we've watched every single one of them."

"Except the second Doctor episodes that were lost in that fire."

"Except those ones," Fab agreed. "And some of those were shit, weren't they? You _hated_ 'Trial of a Time Lord'."

"I hated Six," said Max, grumpily.

"Yes, but after that we got Sylvester McCoy, and you like _him_. So a few bad episodes don't ruin the whole show, do they?"

"But this is different," said Max, feebly. "It's been so long, and it's starting all over again. They could have changed things."

Fab sighed. "Okay. Look. Even if you hate this episode, won't it be worse to _not_ see it? I know, I know, it could be terrible and maybe you won't like it any more. But that doesn't make all those episodes you used to love any different, does it? It can't ruin those. And it could _also_ be fabulous, and you could fall in love with your favourite show all over again and it'll be the best thing ever. Okay?"

Max took a deep breath and stepped away to look him in the eye. "Okay," he said at last.

"Good! Now have some pizza before it gets cold. We've only got another twenty five minutes before it starts and I don't want to miss a moment because someone got hungry."

An hour later, they sat side by side on the couch, still slightly in awe as the closing credits faded away.

"Wow," Max breathed, "That was..."

"That was a bit shit, wasn't it?" Fab frowned at the set. "What are they doing making the Doctor so _attractive_?"

"We've had hot Doctors before."

"And what about the leggy young blonde companion? What are they getting at there?"

"He's had plenty of hot companions. Remember Peri?"

"I hate Peri."

"I know, so do I."

"They're setting it up for a love story. It's not right! The Doctor shouldn't fall in love with his companions, it's all ruined." 

"You do remember the one where the fourth Doctor and Romana go swanning around Paris together, don't you?"

"That was one episode, not a change in the whole style of the show, so it doesn't count." Fab sighed and crossed his arms. "I always thought he was gay."

"He did say no to Rose's mum."

"Yes, but..."

Max just grinned and let Fab carry on. Yes, there were holes in the plot and the film quality wasn't the best and he didn't know yet what he thought of the new Doctor, and Rose, and their relationship. (He _could_ , if he wanted to, point out that it _should_ be impossible for the Doctor to be the last Time Lord and for Gallifrey to be destroyed, but it was Doctor Who. Retconning canon was practically tradition.) What he _did_ know was that it had been fantastic, and he couldn't wait for next week.

"Hey, Fab?" he said, interrupting his friend's monologue.

"Yes?"

"You want to watch it again?"

"Oh _yes_ ," said Fab, and reached for the remote control.


End file.
